Caregiver Charged with Neglect
While Paid to Provide Services, Charged with Driving Under the Influence

BALTIMORE, MD (November 19, 2007) - Maryland Attorney General Douglas F. Gansler announced today that a former caregiver at the Center for Social Change, Obioma James Ezeocha, 27, of the 2100 block of Townhill Road in Parkville, was charged with two counts of neglect of a vulnerable adult for leaving two developmentally disabled men who were in his care alone and unattended. The Center for Social Change is a private nonprofit organization that provides community residential support services to individuals with developmental disabilities.

In March, 2007, Ezeocha was paid to provide awake overnight care to the two victims in their group home located at Chippenham Place in Woodlawn. During the time period that he was supposed to be providing those services, Ezeocha was charged with driving under the influence. Ezeocha pleaded guilty to those charges in the District Court of Maryland for Baltimore County on August 22, 2007 and was sentenced to one year in prison with all but 11 days suspended and two years supervised probation.

Neglect of a vulnerable adult is a misdemeanor punishable by five years in jail and/or a $5,000 fine. A criminal charge is merely an accusation of wrongdoing and the defendant is presumed innocent unless the State proves him guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. Trial is scheduled on January 7, 2008 in the District Court of Maryland for Baltimore County in Towson.

This case is being prosecuted by the Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit based on a referral from the Baltimore County Police Department.